Stem cell protocol needs no bone marrow

Scientists have developed a world-first method for producing adult stem cells—findings that could help patients with a range of serious diseases.

“Because only small numbers of [mesenchymal stem cells] exist in the bone marrow and harvesting bone marrow from a healthy donor is an invasive procedure, the ability to make our own MSCs in large number in the laboratory is an exciting step in the future widespread clinical use of MSCs,” says lead researcher Nicholas Frisk, of the University of Queensland.